Tag: year abroad

Hello from Dallas!

AleenaBy Aleena Raikundalia, BA International Business Management

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog! My name is Aleena Raikundalia, and I’m studying International Business Management at The University of Texas, Dallas.

Residence Hall NorthMy passion for travelling inspired my decision to study abroad, and this is an opportunity I will cherish for the rest of my life! I chose to study in America primarily because I wanted to experience the diversity and the variety in the American way of life, although Chipotle and the sushi bars also played a part in my decision!

The UTD Campus is located in the heart of Richardson, a city next to Dallas. The campus is vast yet very modern. It is slightly difficult to travel off campus without a car, especially since the distance between the campus and other amenities is too far to walk. However, you can always rely on the University Shuttle, Ubers or a friend with a car.

Campus at nightAs an exchange student, it is a requirement to stay university residence halls. I managed to make amazing friends during my first month, so living on campus is definitely an amazing way to meet new people and get involved in the various events and activities. Academically there are no restricted modules allowing students to choose classes of their choice/interest.

Studying abroad surely benefits your CV, but there is so much more you can do to get the most out of your year abroad! Personally, I am looking forward to travelling around the United States, experiencing new cultures and traditions, making new friends and, most importantly, making memories that will last a lifetime!

A year at the University of Amsterdam

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By Ardilah Kamaruzzaman, BA International Business Management

Hey everyone! My name is Ardilah and I’m studying International Business Management at the University of Sheffield with a year at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

I chose to study at UvA as I fell in love with Amsterdam when I first came to visit during Christmas break last year. It is such a vibrant city! Not only that, but UvA is also one of the most reputable universities in the world.

IMG_6485Before I embarked on this new journey, I had been contacting GG (who did her exchange at UvA last year) to ease some of my nervousness. I asked her a lot of questions so that I knew what to expect when I arrived. I found that it helped me when I talked to GG, so if anyone has any questions about UvA or Erasmus in general, I would be more than happy to help!

I am lucky that my accommodation is only seven minutes away from the business school by bike. I have 12 other flatmates and they are a great bunch of people. We went to watch a soccer matchIMG_6366 (Ajax vs. Vitesse), have cultural dinners and do a whole lot of other stuff together that it feels like we’re a big family now, which is nice since you’re away from home and can get homesick at times.

So far, it has been a hectic two months for me. The education system here is so different from Sheffield’s. One semester is divided into three blocks, which also means you have three exam periods in a semester. Block one and two usually last about seven weeks and block three lasts four weeks. It is kind of intense here and it took me quite a while to adapt to the system and the workload I was given (I hope I’m not scaring you!), but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be fine.IMG_6478

So for those of you who are thinking of doing Erasmus, you should totally consider it as, not only will it look good on your CV, but you can expect to discover new things about yourself, have lot of fun and meet new people which will help you broaden your horizons!